Newsletter

Mayor defends his record

Al Scott, president of the Savannah branch of the NAACP, Mayor Otis Johnson and the Rev. C. MeGill Brown, pastor of Second African Baptist Church, at the Sunday evening meeting of the NAACP.

Speaking from the pulpit of historic Second African Baptist Church, Savannah Mayor Otis Johnson defended his record Sunday evening and said he was committed to writing a book about his tenure.

The mayor, whose term ends in January, was the keynote speaker at the general membership meeting of the Savannah Branch of the NAACP.

His address, which lasted almost 40 minutes, reflected “my view” of the past eight years, said Johnson, who added that it was probably the last public speech he would make while still in office.

Johnson listed highlights from his two terms — including the renovation of Ellis Square, the establishment of quarterly town hall meetings and the organization of the Healthy Savannah initiative — and lamented that they had largely been forgotten during this year’s campaigns for city offices.

Some of those who’ve won election, said Johnson, now face the challenge of moving from campaigning to governing.

“I will enjoy watching the new council on Channel 8,” said Johnson.

The mayor detailed how hard he had worked to build consensus with the City Council during his two terms, and also acknowledged that condition eventually dissolved in acrimony over the hiring of City Manager Rochelle Small-Toney.

From some of the campaign materials that were distributed, “you’d think we were having a racial war in Savannah,” said Johnson.

People in the city are more concerned about having their garbage picked up and their streets safe than what color the city manager is, said Johnson. Still, the mayor spent several minutes discussing that situation.

Recognizing his audience, and its long struggle to win equal opportunity for African-Americans, Johnson said that was the key to his decision.

“We were able to crack a glass ceiling” with the Small-Toney hiring, said the mayor. “She deserved a chance.”

In remarks before the speech, Johnson said he was going on vacation after the run-off elections next week. The trip will include Key West, Palm Beach, Orlando and a week-long jazz cruise.

Once back in Savannah, said the mayor, he’ll start work on the book about his mayoral experiences, and it is scheduled to be released in the spring of 2013.